UPDATES *Kaedyn*

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We're going to skip over Nathan's update .... for a moment....  because his will be the longest .... by far. 

So we're going to go with Kaedyn....

Kaedyn - as you know if you know us or have been keeping tabs for awhile - doesn't have a lot going on.  HOWEVER he got some pretty impressive HIVES (linked back to the blog) back in October which causes A LOT of concern for me.  Because I'm allergic to a lot of things - we joke and say I'm allergic to "everything" because really - it's pretty close.   Soy, fruits, pollens, grass, animals, personal & cleaning products, medications....  oh and there's more I'm sure, but this isn't about me.  Daddy is also allergic to shellfish.  He has anaphylaxis to Lobster ... he can't even be in the same room.

The day that Kaedyn got the hives, and here is a picture incase you don't want to look at the blog from last October....

(there are a lot of pictures on the other blog)

The only thing I can pin-point that he ate that was different was candy corn.  And he had some of that the year before....

So we finally got him into the allergist ... and he went through the lovely allergy testing.  If you have never been through allergy testing - you should do it - it's good fun!!

What they do is put a "grid" on your back so they know what "oil" is where.  Once they have a grid in place they take these things that have "oils" in them with the pollen, dander, whatever ... to test what you are allergic to - and after these drops are on your back, they take a little needle and scrap or poke or scratch (however you want to put it) the skin under the droplet ...  then you sit there for awhile, and if a hive develops and the skin is red then you are allergic, and depending on the size of the hive... is how badly you are allergic.

Kaedyn - suggesting we leave ......... NOW ........

 This is about the time that he freaked OUT .... poor kid

 The visible hive in the middle-ish of his back is a "control" one ... I don't know what they have in it to make it a control one (what is everyone allergic to?) ....  

 They had put on Blues Clues for them to watch

 You can see several red welty areas now....

 His biggest allergies were grass, dogs, & cats ...... poor kid is screwed!

Because of this chronic croup when he's sick and his allergies and asthma - they want him on a inhaler every day ...  he gave me some advice on the eczema ... and various other stuff.  Benedryl every night before bed to keep his allergies at bay ... more if he gets bad ... etc and so on :/ 

That still doesn't explain his hives that night in October- unless he was exposed to something at school ....

Other than that ....  he's been pretty healthy and a huge handful.  His speech has gotten SO MUCH BETTER this past year.  We can now - at least are starting to - understand him.   YAY!

UPDATES *Noah*

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 Noah hasn't had a lot of things going on recently.  He's had a few follow up's with specialists...  and various other things.  If you don't read my other blog, Noah had a shooting at his school recently and it has really made us re-evaluate public school vs. homeschooling.  On one hand - I like the break him going to school gives me .... however, he's at a 1st to 2nd grade level overall.  He has dyslexia and who knows what other learning disabilities.  He'll be going into 5th grade this fall and even though I have asked the schools to hold him back - because he has expressed he doesn't like being pulled out of class - and especially when he's sitting in class and doesn't understand what is going on - now, he has a folder of worksheets he can do when he feels like this.... and he pulls it out on his own to work when he feels like that ... which is great - but he has told me this all makes him feel stupid.  Noah isn't stupid.  It makes me sad.   So the schools unwillingness to hold him back and pushing him through with his peers is - in my opinion - not doing him any good.

He is Mr. Popular... all the kids love him.   He says all the time he has no friends.  But I've seen him in action.  He doesn't care about it all - and maybe that's why everyone likes him - because he just doesn't care.  But everyone flocks to him.   He will strike up a conversation with anyone around - no matter the age... he just loves to talk and tell you all about the stuff he thinks is super cool. 

So I'm torn....  I love that he gets all the social stuff at school but is it worth it in the long run?  Social is easy though - there are homeschool groups and other stuff....

But first we are doing a trial this summer to see how things go - if Noah listens to me (he didn't last time we homeschooled) ....  then we'll continue.  Otherwise - back in school he'll go.

So - Noah has also been complaining a lot about stomach aches.  Some mornings I think it might just be an excuse, others I believe him ....  so it's hard.  Took him in - can't find any big reason for them.  ::Shrugs ::

He lost his ear piece for his hearing aid.  Silly boy .... after a few days I called his Audiologist - told her - and scheduled to go in ....  so we had to go to Seattle to get a new cast of his ear so they could make a new mold to make a new ear piece ...

Here she was putting in the sponge in his canal so the goop wouldn't go down too far ... 

 He picked out RED ... DARK BLUE ... and CLEAR with LIGHT BLUE GLITTER this time

 Putting the goop in his ear ....

 putting some on his hand so he knows when he hardens

 playing with the goop

 Goop in the ear

 Is it hard yet?

 the look of boredom ... ha ha ha

 Taking the mold out

 Touching it....

So it takes a couple weeks for the new mold to come in ....  and so we picked it up yesterday (April 18) ...

 Colors up close....

 Pretty cool huh!?!

We think so!!

In other news - he got another hearing test ..... and his hearing is stable....  there aren't really any changes, and she did a test with his hearing aid in too... His right ear is still normal and his left he has significant hearing loss in both the ear and the bone... 

 His numbers ... even with his hearing aid in he doesn't hear perfect, but it's better...

 So his hearing is completely stable - which is a good thing :)

He also had an appointment with his kidney doctor....   there is still blood in his urine (of course) and a trace of protein.  He says everything looks good for now, but if he should ever have more than a trace of protein in his urine he's going to want to do a biopsy ... so ...  for now, it's wait a year and see how he's doing then, unless he gets sick.

And that's pretty much all there is for Noah right now :)   Oh ....  right....

Noah is 56 lbs and 14oz ... and 4 ft 3 inches... he's at the 4th percentile for height and the 6th for weight...

Oh and Noah's recent dentist appointment - NO CAVITIES!!!  He's got some major shark teeth going on - his baby teeth just aren't falling out and the adult teeth are coming in....   

UPDATES *Calahan*

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I haven't updated in awhile, we've had a lot going on with my husband losing the ability to walk (unassisted short distances, not at all long distances)  ...  so I thought I better start updating :)   We'll start with  the oldest first :)

Calahan has been going through a lot this year.  He has been in and out of urgent care, physical therapy and what not because of muscle/joint issues and pain.  As if the kid doesn't have enough to worry about with teenage angst ...

Anyway ....

We thought it was his joints - growing pains and all - and his muscles.....  and he does get growing pains!  Anyway - then we thought it was arthritis due to his broken shoulder (from birth) ... maybe effects of his scoliosis ....   in other words ... we just don't know.


These pictures were taken one night in January in Urgent Care ....

texting his girlfriend.....

 Ooooooooooooh the pain!!!

 Ugh it hurts here too......

 Back to texting the girlfriend...

In February it got so bad that he couldn't move his head - period -exclamation mark - at all.  Over the last couple months it's gotten better ...  he's gotten some physical therapy and been doing some exercises.  The PT thinks his muscles are too tight in his back, especially the ones that runs along his spine, and he's got to get them stretched out.  Doesn't help he sits hunched over and all that....  so now it's constant "Calahan, sit up straight!" on my end.  No fun at all...

He's not doing so well in school - and Doc thinks it might be because his ADHD meds aren't 100% right.  He's on a high dose right now and he is still struggling pretty bad.  So she wanted him to go see some behavior health people.  This happened the other day.  Cal was super nervous no matter how much we tried to put him at ease.   Went through an intake and they determined that Cal has some major anxiety, and a little depression ...so they want him to go to a different place that has a lot more services.  We'll have to go through intake with them again - and do all that all over ...  but at least we're on a path ....

Dentist:  2 cavities and a root canal :/  poor kid - he refuses ...  and he's bigger than me...

Back in Fall 2010 - he went through some testing in school - learning disabilities ..... it was determined he has DYSGRAPHIA ...  it's a disability where he can't get the words from his head out through his hand.  He has to - usually - verbalize it ...   the school is dropping the ball here.  

That's pretty much it with Calahan :)

Bit through his lip.......

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 Noah has taught the younger two all those lovely boy things ....  every little boy learns somewhere.   Those things every mother wants to prolong as long as possible......

............ using the finger guns ...... or any other straight object that can be imagined into one...

..................... mimicing the moves of all those stupid shows on TV that teach little kids it's cool to go up to someone and kick them, punch them.... and put them into a choke hold .......

Teaching an Autistic child the "choke hold" thing ...... it's not cool....  they tend to think it's funny to choke anyone ... including the cat and dog .......

Oye ....

Anyway ....... Gremlin Kaedyn and Gremlin Nathan were horsing around in the bedroom.  Kaedyn was on the phone with Nana at the time, and my mom said that Kaedyn had some maniacal laughter...... and then........ Nathan starts screaming.....  Kaedyn told Nana something about Nathan trying to tickle him........

Regardless..... Nathan came out to me ..... with his poor little face all bloody.  At first I thought he might have bit his lip or something....... but I didn't know....

HE BIT THROUGH HIS LIP .....

 So I took him to the ER right away ... just incase it needed stitched or they could glue it...

 (below) Pushing his tongue against it...

 (above) Watching Toy Story and having to have the speaker right by him....  (below) ... being wrapped up like a taco so they could clean it out and glue it ...

 Cleaning it out .......

 Gluing it.......

 All fixed ...  bandaid on his face.... heehee...

 They gave him some antibiotics and he's doing well now.   This happened yesterday (the 18th of December) and here he is today .... (the 19th)

Nathan's I.E.P....

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 Nathan's I.E.P. meeting went well.  He has made some progress ...  his vocab has improved a little but his speech therapist.  They said that he's interacting with the other kids a little bit ... however, he still prefers to play alone or with Kaedyn.  However, there is some interest there.  They said he loves to sit in the reading corner and just read.   They have noticed his sensory issues coming into play but not as often as they were at the beginning of the school year.  Over all - he's doing very well.   He has his issues, but he's an amazing kid - and they ALWAYS miss him when he isn't there.

I was super excited when they handed me his communication book!!  We're not having an easy time using it...  it's HUGE and it's a little hard to follow :(   But I'm excited...

I have to say that his most ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing to do is to sit in the swing....

 He and Kaedyn play very well together :)

And here he is in his favorite reading spot :)